


Never Underestimate A Witch **ABANDONED**

by honestlydarkprincess



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Aftermath of Torture, Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Murder, BAMF Hermione Granger, Bad Dumbledore, Blood, Dark Hermione Granger, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, F/F, Forced Marriage, Good Bellatrix Black Lestrange, House Elves, Hurt, Hurt Hermione, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Kidnapping, Like Glacier Slow, Mind Control, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Mind Manipulation, Murder, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Pain, Revenge, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Tags Contain Spoilers, Tags May Change, Torture, Violence, Waterboarding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2018-09-13 09:25:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9117649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestlydarkprincess/pseuds/honestlydarkprincess
Summary: Hermione is kidnapped and tortured after being forced to watch her parents killed. Held captive in Voldemort's Manor, she meets the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange, whose past is one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Dark Side. Things aren't at all as they seem. If these revelations get out, the Wizarding World will never be the same. - Eventual Dark Hermione.****ABANDONED****





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not pretend to own Harry Potter.

"Please, let go of me!"

Hermione's pleas were ignored by the woman dragging her through the dark, foreboding halls. The farther they got into the manor, the more fear Hermione felt.

Hermione knew the way now.

She knew where this hallway led to.

She knew just what, well, who was waiting for her at the end.

She couldn't go through it again.

 _Please_ , not again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was incredibly short but this is only the prologue! I promise the other chapters will be longer.
> 
> Fic details on next page.


	2. Kidnapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> So this is the first time I'm doing a fic that I'm going to post as I write! Usually, I only post after I've finished the story and have thoroughly edited it. But I have decided to give this a go xD
> 
>  
> 
> **Warnings: This fic is dark. It contains torture, murder, kidnapping, and other mature themes.**
> 
>  
> 
> If that is not your thing then, please, turn away now! I have tons of fluff fics that you can read!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not pretend to own Harry Potter. 
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> " _Spells_ "

**Two Days Ago:**

Hermione had been at home, safe and sound, eating dinner with her parents. It was the summer of her fifth year and she was set to be moved to Order headquarters within the week. She and her parents wanted to spend as much time as possible with each other before she had to leave.

After a nice dinner, they had watched a film together. Her parents had retired to bed earlier than she had; to no one's surprise, Hermione wanted to stay up a little longer and read.

She had been beginning to doze off when the door burst open.

Hermione startled from her position on the couch and barely even had time to stand up before a masked Death Eater grabbed her and forced his hand over her mouth, muting her screams.

"Kill the parents," The man restraining her barked, "Leave no survivors."

"NO!" Hermione tried to scream, struggling hard against her captor but to no avail.

"Stop struggling, mudblood. It'll only make it worse," The man purred, holding her tighter against him. "Now, I was going to take you straight to the Dark Lord…but maybe there's something you should _watch_ first."

Hermione felt her stomach drop.

She had a pretty clear idea of what he wanted her to watch and she renewed her struggles against him.

"Tsk tsk tsk, what did I tell you about struggling?" He whispered in her ear, laughing as she shivered in disgust. He nodded his head at one of the other masked Death Eaters, who nodded back and went upstairs.

"Shall we get the little mudblood a chair so she can watch the show?" He cackled, roughly forcing her into the chair a third Death Eater had fetched.

" _Silencio_ ," The masked man mumbled, pointing his wand at Hermione as he spoke the spell. Hermione's screams immediately silenced, and she felt cold dread settle over her. They could do whatever they wanted, and she couldn't even scream.

Silent tears slid down her face as she watched Death Eaters drag her struggling parents down the stairs and onto the couch in front of her. When they saw her, they fought even harder; but they were no match for magical bindings and a bunch of fully grown dangerous Death Eaters.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. The magical world was supposed to be a place where she could be her true self: a witch. She wasn't supposed to be thrown in the middle of a war. Her parents were supposed to suffer because of her place in said war.

" _Crucio!_ "

Hermione sobbed as the agonizing screams of her mum and dad filled her ears.

"STOP! Please, stop!" She tried to scream, but no sound came out.

"What was that, little girl?" The main Death Eater asked, laughing at her forced silence.

As the torture of her parents went on, with Hermione forced to watch, she promised herself that if she ever escaped, she would kill these Death Eaters and show no mercy.

It would be _her_ leaving no survivors.

As she made that silent vow, Hermione felt a flash of magic go through her, binding her to her promise.

The Death Eaters must have felt the tremor of magic, because they stopped cursing her parents, who by now were drooling, mindless husks of what they used to be.

"What was that?" One of the Death Eaters asked.

The Death Eater who looked to be in charge looked around and shrugged, although Hermione could see the hesitation in his cold eyes.

"Whatever, these muggles are done. Let's get the mudblood back to the Dark Lord." He said, harshly grabbing Hermione and forcing her to her feet.

"Clean this up," He barked, and then with no warning, Hermione felt the unpleasant tug of a portkey activating.

They landed roughly, the man taking no care with his prisoner and paid her no mind as she dropped to her knees, retching. He merely gave her a quick, cold glance and forced her to her feet again. She sobbed as his grip tightened on her arm to the point of bruising.

The silencing charm was quickly wearing off and Hermione let out little pained whimpers. She tried to silent, she didn't want to give them the satisfaction of hearing her pain, but it was difficult.

"Let's go, mudblood. He's waiting for you."

Hermione couldn't do anything but let herself be dragged towards a set of imposing doors.

They opened as they approached, creaking ominously and not doing anything to ease Hermione's fear. She tried to control her breathing but she couldn't help but pant in fear.

When they entered, a sudden hush fell over the room. The others in the room parted as the man dragged her forward. Hermione stifled a gasp when she saw the man sitting on the grand throne they were approaching.

Lord Voldemort.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, let me know what you thought of the first chapter?
> 
> As of right now, I am planning on this fic having a happy ending so you do have that to look forward to! I have a broad idea of where I want to take this fic but it's pretty open ended, so any ideas you guys have, I am very open to it!


	3. Meeting The Dark Lord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo!
> 
> Okay, so here's the next chapter! I'm going to be going back to school in a few days so I won't be able to update very often, so I wanted to write this to keep interest in this fic. I'm hoping to update a least once a week, given that I don't have any more breakdowns due to stress! xD
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!
> 
>  
> 
> **Warnings: This fic is dark. It contains torture, murder, kidnapping, and other mature themes. This fic will also contain character bashing, namely Dumbledore-bashing and Weasley-bashing.**
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not pretend to own Harry Potter.
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> " _Spells_ "

He didn't look how she had expected him to.

Harry had described him as snake-like with pale skin and inhuman eyes.

But the man sitting there was just that.

A man.

He wasn't a reptilian ghost of the human he once was, no, before her sat a handsome man. He had inky black hair, scarily similar to Harry's, except for the fact it was tame and well groomed. A strong roman nose sat proudly on his face and piercing red eyes stared at her with cold intensity that sent shivers down her spine.

His thin lips twisted into an ugly, cruel smirk as a Death Eater forced her to her knees when they came to a stop in front of the throne.

"Well, well, well…who do we have here?" Voldemort hissed, the cruel mocking in his voice taking away from any attractiveness his physical appearance may have granted him.

Hermione tilted her head up, holding his gaze without flinching. Her silence bothered him, however, and he growled, losing his smirk.

"Answer me!" He commanded, straightening on his throne as Hermione continued to just stare at him.

The Death Eaters around them shifted uneasily, confused as to why the girl wasn't giving in and playing their master's game.

The Death Eater who had kidnapped her cleared his throat and began to speak, "This is Hermione Granger, my lord."

"Ah, the mudblood Lucious' boy is always complaining about," Voldemort mused, stroking his chin. "Why did you bring her to me? I didn't ask you to. Explain to me why you thought it was a good idea to take on the risk of kidnapping the mudblood of the Golden Trio."

The man swallowed roughly, looking down at the displeased purr that came from his master. Even if Voldemort was happy, well, as close to happy as he could get, that the Granger girl was in his captive, the man knew he was going to suffer for not asking for permission before kidnapping her.

"Well, my lord, you see…" He started, looking at the others for help and feeling dread creep up his spine as they all looked down or away, providing him no support. "The Order has been getting stronger and getting in the way of your plans, my lord. I thought the Granger girl would know where their headquarters were, or could at least provide some information on the members because of her close ties to Potter."

All of the other Death Eaters held their breath as they waited for their master's reaction.

"Well done, Rockwood," Voldemort hissed, leaning back in his throne.

The man, Rockwood, sighed in relief and relaxed his posture, regaining his earlier bravado.

" _Crucio_!"

Hermione flinched harshly as Rockwood fell to the floor in agony, a blood-curling scream ripped from his throat. She looked at Voldemort and felt sick at the twisted pleasure in his face at watching one of his own followers suffer.

Voldemort let up with the spell and watched emotionless as Rockwood panted for breath and spat out blood, having bitten through his tongue trying to hold in his screams.

" _That_ was for assuming you knew what I wanted better than I," He stated coldly, "If I want something done, I will tell you. Make another decision like this and you'll be getting a different Unforgivable curse or I'll feed you to the dementors."

Rockwood nodded, shakily standing up and trying to hide the painful tremors still coursing through his body from his fellow Death Eaters.

"Bellatrix!" Voldemort called, snapping his fingers.

"Yes, master?" Bella simpered, coming to stand excitedly in front of Voldemort.

"Take the girl to the dungeons and…make her feel at _home_."

Hermione choked back a sob at the sick smile and manic glee that lit up Bellatrix's face at Voldemort's words.

"Let's go, little mudblood! We're going to have so much fun together," Bella cooed, forcing Hermione to stand up and dragging her back the way she had entered.

Voldemort watched them go with an impassive look on his face, however, his mind was racing. He had a bad feeling about this. There was something…off..about that Granger girl. A part of him told him not to mess with her and that keeping her here was only going end in bloodshed.

Yet, he ignored it.

After all, what could a 5th year little witch do against _him_ , the Dark Lord?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is shorter than I wanted it to be but I felt like this was a natural stopping point.


	4. Purple Hues and Padfoot's Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys :)
> 
> It was my first day back at school today and wanted to see if I could write the next chapter before I start to drown in homework!
> 
> I have decided to make this a Hermione/Bellatrix endgame fic after a few reviews I received got me thinking! It'll be a slow burn romance, however, and, to be honest, I'm not sure how big of a part the actual romance will play in the story. But I wanted to give this pairing a shot and I think it'll work with what I have in mind so far.
> 
> **Warnings: This fic is dark. It contains torture, murder, kidnapping, implied/referenced domestic violence, the use of mind-altering influences and mind magic, abuse, and other mature themes. This fic will also contain character bashing, namely Dumbledore-bashing and some Weasley-bashing.**
> 
> Tags will be updated as I go along. If I missed something that should be in the tags/warnings, please let me know and I'll add it immediately.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not pretend to own Harry Potter.
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> " _Spells_ "

Hermione refused to make a sound as Bellatrix dragged her through the dark, twisting hallways. She didn't even try to remember the way, it was too confusing. Instead, Hermione took the time to study the woman in front of her.

She had heard a lot about the famous Bellatrix Lestrange née Black. A merciless, cold-blooded killer and an extremely talented Dark Witch. Her talent in the Dark Arts rivalling that of the Dark Lord, although no one with self-preservation would say so out loud. The woman had been top of her class at Hogwarts and said to be one of the strongest witches of her generation. She was also rumoured to be very beautiful and, well, the rumours weren't wrong.

Bellatrix Lestrange _was_ an extremely beautiful woman, even after the brutality of 12 years spent locked away in Azkaban.

Hermione was supposed to fear her, to hate her. After all, this woman hated her and her 'kind' and had committed atrocious acts against thousands.

And yet, there was something about Bellatrix that made Hermione curious rather than scared.

There was this… _aura_..around Bellatrix.

While it spoke of great power tightly curled under the surface, ready to use should she be allowed to release it, it also felt like something wasn't quite right.

That feeling had strengthened when Hermione had seen Bellatrix up close for the first time back in Voldemort's throne room. The older woman's eyes seemed to shift rapidly from dark to light purple until it settled on one for the moment. When they were light, the witch was a simpering, loyal servant and in the next moment, her eyes would flash dark purple and she would seem confused and tightly wound, as if ready for a fight. She had also noticed that some of the Death Eaters around them would tense and grow restless whenever Bella's eyes would go dark purple.

Huh. Curious.

Hermione was interrupted from her musings when Bellatrix stopped suddenly, causing Hermione to almost crash into her. Even in the dim lighting, Hermione could see the way the woman's eyes grew dark and her movements became hesitant.

She tilted her head to the side, her wild mane of curls framing her face. She looked as if she was trying to figure something out.

"Uhh," Hermione couldn't help but mutter.

Bellatrix's head snapped to the left as the sound left Hermione and flinched when she saw her. Her eyes, now a vibrant dark purple, were wide with confusion and a hint of fear. It was a surprising look for a woman who, five minutes ago, had looked gleefully enthusiastic about the potential blood to be spilt. Hermione was beginning to think that the Bellatrix in front of her wasn't the Bellatrix the rest of the Death Eaters were used to working with.

Before Hermione could say anything to Bellatrix, a tall, dark-haired man rounded the corner and caught sight of the two.

"Bella?" The man asked, looking concerned, even though his eyes conveyed a cold distaste that didn't match the look of concern. Then, he saw the dark colour of her eyes. His eyes narrowed, his lips twisted, and he growled out, "What are you doing?"

Hermione couldn't ignore the pang of dread she felt as Bellatrix flinched again, this time away from the man. The feeling of dread increased when the man subtly mumbled a few words and Bellatrix's eyes turned a light purple, a hazy looking taking over her expression for a few seconds before she shook it off, looking more like the Bellatrix from the throne room. Hermione would admit that _that_ Bellatrix scared her a little. No human being should look that gleeful at the prospect of pain.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Rodolphus?!" Bellatrix snarled, "Our lord asked me to take the mudblood here to the dungeons!"

At her words, Rodolphus seemed to finally notice Hermione standing there, slightly behind Bellatrix.

"Ah, the famous little mudblood from the Golden Trio," Rodolphus mocked, stalking closer to the two women, a disgusting, leering look on his face.

Bellatrix swayed for a moment before her eyes flashed dark purple and she growled, subtlety maneuvering her body in front of Hermione.

"Dammit, woman!" Rodolphus snarled. He mumbled the words from before, this time with his wand pointed at Bellatrix, and looked satisfied when her eyes turned an even lighter purple than before.

"Now, get the girl to the dungeons and stop causing me trouble!" Rodolphus said, glaring at Bellatrix as if he could force her to comply with his stare alone.

"Yes, husband," Bellatrix mumbled and bowed her head, eyes glossy. Hermione looked at Bellatrix in shock and confusion. _That_ man was her husband?

Rodolphus looked at his wife with smug satisfaction, a cruel glint in his eyes.

"Good," He purred, reaching over to Bella's face, ignoring her violent flinch, and caressed her face lightly. Pleasure bloomed on his face as he watched Bellatrix flinch away from his touch, making Hermione feel sick and full of the need to protect this woman from this horrible man. He smirked before stalking off in another direction, not sparing them a second glance.

"Let's go," Bellatrix said roughly, once again grabbing Hermione's arm and dragging her in the direction they had been headed in originally.

Hermione let herself be dragged, busy contemplating everything that had just happened. A few things were starting to fall into place but Hermione knew she was still missing key elements to the puzzle that was Bellatrix Lestrange.

All she knew was that if, no, when, she escaped, she was going to spend a little extra time taking care of Rodolphus Lestrange.

No one, no matter what they had done in their life, ever deserved to be treated like that.

A blood-thirsty smile appeared on Hermione's face, not that anyone saw, and she distracted herself from what was to come with thoughts of her revenge.

**

oOoOoOoOo

**

**12 Grimmauld Place - Order Headquarters:**

Sirius Black sat in his family's ancestral home, staring mindlessly out the window.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Ever since he had been a child, Sirius had always been able to _feel_ things. Particularly when something bad was going to happen. It felt like a faint, dull throb underneath his skin that got more painful the more severe the event-to-come was. He had felt it the night Snape had almost gotten eaten by Moony, the night his parent's had announced his cousin Bellatrix was to be married to that sick bastard Rodolphus, the night Lily and James had switched their secret keeper, and the night they died. Those were only a few of the times he had had that feeling but they were among the times the feeling was at its most extreme.

Sirius shifted restlessly in his seat causing Remus to look up from where he had been sitting next to the man, reading.

"Everything okay, Padfoot?" Remus asked, trying not to look as concerned as he felt. Sirius had been acting strangely for the past few days and as much as he wanted to ask the man why he didn't want to bombard him with questions. Sirius had never liked being asked questions when he got like this; Remus and the rest of the marauders had quickly learned to leave him alone and let him work it out on his own.

Sirius merely grunted in reply, sparing Remus a quick glance before going back to staring out the window.

Remus rolled his eyes and returned his attention to his book.

Sirius sighed and shifted again, this time curling up with his head on Remus' lap and closing his eyes. He let out a content purr as Moony absentmindedly stroked his fingers through his curls.

Even as comforting as being next to Moony was, Sirius soon fell into an anxiety-filled nightmare.

He couldn't make out what was happening, everything was too dark, but all of a sudden terrified, pain-filled screams filled his ears. The sound of a young girl screaming out as a cruel voice laughed came next, followed by flashes of dark purple.

The last thing Sirius saw before he woke up were a pair of piercing purple eyes, much like the ones his older cousin Bella used to have, before they returned a sickly red hue, not unlike the Dark Lord himself.

Sirius woke with a gasp, yanking himself into a sitting position and holding his stomach as a wave of nausea crashed over him. He sat there, panting, and quickly realized that he was alone. He could hear the low murmur of Remus' voice coming from downstairs and saw the discarded book the werewolf had been reading before he'd fallen asleep.

As Sirius caught his breath, he thought about the dream he had just had.

He knew it meant something, something very important.

The only question was… _what_?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will be at least this length but as the story progresses I'm hoping I'll be able to make them longer!
> 
> All kudos, comments, and bookmarks are loved!
> 
> Feedback is very much appreciated and is incredibly helpful! Especially since so much about this fic is up in the air. So if you have time, I would love it if you could leave me a comment! :)


	5. Violent Dreams, Bloody Encounters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour m'dears!
> 
> I've had a lot more inspiration for this story than I thought I would so I've been able to update more frequently than originally planned! I should write Harry Potter stories more often, this is really fun.
> 
> **Warnings: This fic is dark. It contains torture, murder, kidnapping, implied/referenced domestic violence, the use of mind-altering influences and mind magic, abuse, and other mature themes. This fic will also contain character bashing, namely Dumbledore-bashing and some Weasley-bashing (this will come later in the fic).**
> 
> Warnings will be updated as I go along. If I missed something that should be in the warnings, please let me know and I'll add it immediately.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not pretend to own Harry Potter.
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> " _Spells_ "

_Hermione screamed._

_She cried._

_She begged and pleaded._

_Still, they didn't stop._

Sirius ripped himself awake, rushing out of bed and into the adjoining bathroom. He proceeded to empty the contents of his stomach into the toilet until he was dry heaving.

Violent, bloody images flash across his mind making him feel sick even though there was nothing left in his stomach. He sat there, hunched over the toilet, panting and crying.

"Padfoot?" Remus' concerned voice broke through Sirius' haze.

Unable to speak, he choked back a sob as a fresh wave of nausea crashed over him. The images wouldn't leave. The picture of Hermione, a girl his godson's age, covered in blood and tears made him feel sicker than anything else had in his life.

"Sirius, what's going on?" Remus asked, coming to kneel next to Sirius' trembling form.

Seeing that Sirius wasn't able to talk at the moment, Remus stood up. Sirius whimpered, thinking he was leaving him but Remus kneeled back down in a few seconds, now holding a wet wash cloth.

Gently, Remus wiped Sirius' sweaty forehead before folding the cloth and wiping his mouth.

Remus vanished the cloth and reached over to flush the toilet. He made himself comfortable on the floor and pulled Sirius closer to his body, carding his fingers through Sirius' hair. Sirius closed his eyes, leaning into the caring gesture. He swallowed roughly as he remembered his dream and gagged at the taste in his mouth. Wandlessly, he used quick cleansing charm so his mouth was minty fresh.

The nausea seemed to have passed for now so Sirius didn't hesitate to lean against Remus.

"Can you tell me what the dream was about, love?" Remus whispered, pressing a comforting kiss to Sirius' head.

Sirius shuddered, Hermione's screams still ringing in his ears. He burrowed closer to Remus, seeking the comfort that Hermione had been so cruelly denied.

"Hermione…" Sirius whispered, face muffled by Remus' chest. "They're hurting her, Remus."

"Who? Who's hurting her?" Remus asked, concern growing. Hermione was supposed to be at home with her parents for another week; she was supposed to be all safe and sound.

"Different Death Eaters," Sirius replied roughly, "Bella…Bellatrix was one of them."

Remus winced at Sirius' hushed confession. He knew how much it hurt his mate to see Bellatrix become a Death Eater. It wasn't common knowledge but Sirius and Bellatrix had actually been close when they were younger. At first, Remus had found that extremely hard to believe; after all, he had met Bellatrix at school and the woman was cold and closed off, and he couldn't see her liking, or even tolerating, Sirius and his shenanigans. But then Sirius had explained to him one night how they used to play together, how Bellatrix was like the older sister Sirius had always wanted, and how Bellatrix had had to become the cold, closed off woman she was in Hogwarts because she needed to survive her family. It was easier not to feel at all when you were part of the Black family. Feeling just made everything so much harder.

One day, Sirius had shown Remus some old memories of Bellatrix in a pensieve they found in the Room of Requirements and Remus had held Sirius as he cried. Seeing his cousin the way she used to be had been difficult and it only got harder after her engagement to Rodolphus Lestrange had been announced. You could see the pain shining in her eyes as she was forced to marry that man and they had become a dull ghost of what they used to be. _She_ had become a dull ghost of who she used to be.

After their wedding, which Sirius had not been invited to, however, everything had changed.

Bellatrix's eyes had become a light purple and her personality had completely changed, something that everyone else seemed to ignore. That or they just didn't want to admit to themselves they knew what that meant.

The Bellatrix Sirius knew would have never become a Voldemort supporter; and she certainly wouldn't have become a high-ranking, muggle-hating, fanatical Death Eater who slaughtered without reason, hesitation, or remorse.

Something had happened to his cousin and Sirius had vowed to find out what. He had promised himself that when he became the Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black that he would dissolve her marriage to Rodolphus and get to the bottom of what had happened to her.

But then his parents had kicked him out after they found out he was dating Remus, they didn't take lightly to the fact he was dating a werewolf. They hadn't officially disowned him though so Sirius still had some hope. Until that fateful night when his best friends were murdered, his godson ripped away from him, and he was sent to prison for allegedly killing the traitor Wormtail.

All those years in Azkaban had killed his hope, especially since the woman he wanted to save ended up having the cell next to him.

Some days it would seem like Bellatrix was coming out of a trance and she would act more like the Bellatrix he remembered and then she'd grab her left arm, scream, and become the monstrous, fanatical follower many had come to fear, all over again.

The dementors would pass by and Sirius would have to listen to her scream out that she'd be good and he didn't need to use the spell, for Rodolphus to stop and to let her go home. He longed to break out of his cell and strangle Rodolphus, who was in the cell across from him. He wanted to hug his cousin, to comfort her, to be there for her like he should have before everything changed.

It was an endless cycle that broke something in him.

Now she was out of prison and back in the hands of her husband and the Dark Lord. Even if Sirius could obtain the Black Lordship, he knew that he wouldn't be able to get her away from them. Especially when he was confined to Grimmauld Place under Dumbledore's orders. The old coot had actually put up wards that prevented him from leaving. He was the Lord of this House yet he couldn't leave all because he hadn't been able to officially accept the Lordship. That sneaky old coot had been one step ahead of him this whole time; and now he had a heavily-warded house to use as his headquarters while he not only kept Sirius from leaving, but kept him from seeing his godson.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Remus whispered, shifting slightly in his position as Sirius' pillow.

"Sorry," Sirius whispered back, sitting up.

"It's okay. Do you want to talk about it?" Remus prodded gently.

"Not really, no. At least, not right now," Sirius admitted, using his sleeve to wipe at the tears that had gathered in his eyes the more he thought about Bellatrix and the past.

"That's fair. Shall we go back to bed and talk about it in the morning?"

"Okay," Sirius mumbled, giving Remus a small, grateful smile. "Thank you for understanding, Moony."

"Always, Padfoot."

Remus stood up and helped Sirius up, taking his hand and leading the man back to their bed.

Sirius waited for Remus to lie down and get comfortable before he too climbed into bed and laid his head on Remus' chest, listening to his mate's heartbeat.

"Goodnight, Sirius."

"Night, Remus."

oOoOoOoOoOo

**Malfoy Manor - Current Death Eater Headquarters:**

Hermione awoke to the sudden feeling of icy water being splashed in her face. She gasped for breath and shivered as cold water soaked into the thin pyjamas she had been wearing when she was kidnapped.

"Wakey-wakey little girl," A dark voice cooed.

Hermione blinked and stared at the man who had woken her up.

Rockwood.

He was one of her torturers and one of the more eager ones. The louder she screamed, the happier he looked.

Hermione regarded him coolly, keeping her mouth shut.

Displeasure bloomed on Rockwood's face as Hermione refused to engage with him.

"Whatever, mudblood, the Dark Lord wants to see you," He growled, smirking at the fear she couldn't hide that flashed through her eyes.

Hermione wasn't sure how long it had been since she was kidnapped but it felt like weeks. Everyday was painful in some way. Someone would wake her up, feed her a meager and often disgusting meal, she would be taken to another room, and then the torture would start. The first time had been the easiest. Two masked Death Eaters had thrown weak pain spells at her and it had left her with a headache but there wasn't enough power in the spells to really _hurt_.

The next day Rockwood had tortured her with the muggle technique of water-boarding. He had also slashed her across the face with a dagger after she had mentioned that water boarding was of muggle origin.

"Do not associate me with those vile creatures, mudblood," He had whispered menacingly into her ear, smirking as blood dripped down her face and she breathed harshly from the previous lack of oxygen.

The day after that, however, was by far the worst.

Nothing that had happened to her since could even compare to the physical, emotional, and mental ordeal of that day.

When Hermione had woken up to see Bellatrix staring at her through the bars of her cell, she had actually felt a spark of hope. But then Bellatrix had sauntered closer and Hermione was able to see that not only were her eyes a very light purple but there was also an evil glint present that sent shivers down Hermione's spine.

"Wake up, mudblood, it's time to play," Bellatrix had cooed.

After it was all over, Hermione's throat was so raw from screaming she had coughed up blood.

She had curled up in her tiny cell and cried herself to sleep that night. Nightmares filled with light purple eyes and high-pitched laughter had plagued her and she longed to be at home. She wanted to curl up on the couch with her parents and watch a movie.

She wanted that feeling of safety and comfort back.

Now everything was so cold.

Everything ached.

Confusion and frustration also plagued her as she continued to deal with Bellatrix.

Hermione just couldn't figure her out. One minute she would be laughing as Hermione screamed and the next, she'd be looking at Hermione in horror.

One particular moment had been stuck in her mind, replaying over and over again.

Bellatrix had been straddling her, screaming questions that Hermione just couldn't answer.

_Where are the headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix?_

_Where is Harry Potter located?_

_What was Albus Dumbledore planning?_

_Who was in the Order?_

The questions went on and on and every time Hermione would explain that she didn't know the answer, Bellatrix would get even angrier.

And then, all of sudden, she just stopped.

The room went silent except for Hermione's harsh panting.

"Who are you?" Bellatrix whispered, looking at Hermione with wide, horror-filled eyes.

Hermione stayed silent, searching Bella's face.

The woman's eyes slowly darkened to a vibrant plum and she started breathing faster.

"Who are you? Where am I? Where's Sirius?" Bellatrix cried, panic taking over her expression. She ripped herself away from Hermione and stood up, pacing frantically and looking around in fear. Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked nothing like the Bellatrix from a minute ago. Remarkably, Hermione felt a spark of protectiveness surge through her even though this woman had been torturing her a few minutes ago. Hermione didn't have time to analysis her feelings right now- she had bigger things to worry about, such as the witch in front of her who was starting to look more and more aware by the minute.

"Bella-," Hermione croaked, trying to make her tired and sore body sit up. Bellatrix made an aborted movement in Hermione's direction, like she was going to help her up, before her head snapped towards the doorway.

Before Hermione could finish her sentence, however, the door banged open and Rodolphus strode in.

"YOU!" Bellatrix screamed, hatred filling her eyes as she laid eyes on the dark-haired man. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!"

Rodolphus looked at Bellatrix in wonder for a few seconds before he whipped out his wand and shot a stunner at her before anyone had time to react, sending Bellatrix to the floor in a heap.

"How do you keep resisting?!" Rodolphus growled, striding over to Bellatrix's limp body and roughly moved her into a sitting position, leaning her against one of the walls. He ignored Hermione as he shoved up his sleeve and pressed his wand to his left arm.

Hermione had managed to crawl over to the opposite wall and pull herself into a seated position just moments before a dark swirl appeared in the middle of the room.

It disappeared to reveal the Dark Lord, standing there with a look of fury on his face.

"This better be important, Rodolphus," Voldemort snarled, before catching sight of the aforementioned man hovering over his wife's body. "What happened?"

"She came out of it," Rodolphus said simply, providing no further explanation.

"That's impossible. I created the spell myself, there's no way she would be able to resist it," Voldemort scoffed, however he couldn't help but look at Bellatrix's body in concern. Well, if there was anyone who would be powerful enough to resist his own spells, it would be Bellatrix.

That's exactly why he had chosen her. He wanted, no, he _craved_ her power and loyalty and had been willing to do whatever it took to get it. He just hadn't realized that it would be this complicated to keep her obedient and under control.

Voldemort waved his hand and Bellatrix's body floated towards him.

"I'll have Snape look at her. There's got to be some kind of potion he can brew that will keep her under control. I'll give her some Draught of the Living Dead until she's needed or Severus can figure something out," Voldemort mused, looking at Bellatrix with annoyance and intrigue. "Take the mudblood back to her cell."

Rodolphus startled slightly, having forgotten that Hermione was still in the room, "Yes, my Lord. Right away."

"Good."

With that, Voldemort disappeared, leaving Hermione alone with Rodolphus.

He took her back to her cell and threw her in roughly, paying no attention to her when she let out a pained whimper. He merely locked the cell door and left.

"I said let's go, mudblood! I don't have all day," A rough, impatient voice broke Hermione out of her thoughts and she shook her head, bringing herself back to the present.

"Why does he want to see me?" Hermione questioned, immediately regretting it when she saw the look on Rockwood's face.

"I don't answer to you," He snarled, grabbing her arm hard enough to bruise and dragging her out of her cell.

He dragged her all the way to the throne room. He pushed open the heavy doors and pulled Hermione inside.

It reminded Hermione of her first night here. The way she was dragged into the room, the sudden hush that fell over everyone. The way Voldemort sat up in his throne, looking at her with those intense red eyes.

Even with dread heavy in her heart, Hermione held her head high, refusing to cower like he so clearly wanted her to do. She liked how it pissed off how she wouldn't cower in front of him the way he was used to.

They could torture her all they wanted but they would _never_ make her bow to him.

Ever.

One day, it would be _him_ bowing to _her_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all the support I've received for this fic! I've been going through a really hard time recently and honestly every comment, kudos, bookmark, and subscription make my days a little better :)
> 
> I hope you liked the chapter!
> 
> If you guys have any ideas on what you'd like to see happen in the story, I'm more than willing to take some suggestions! After all, the more inspiration I have, the more often I'll be able to update ;)
> 
>  **JANUARY 12, 2017 UPDATE:** _Due to some serious personal issues the next chapter will not be posted on time. It's in the works, but it'll most likely be posted next week instead of this week. Sorry about that!_
> 
>  **JANUARY 25, 2017 UPDATE:** _As I know have a bout of writer's block, the next chapter will won't be posted for another little while. I have no idea when I'll have enough inspiration to write the next chapter but I wasn't happy with the flow of it and I don't want to rush it. So, yeah! It is in the works but it's going to take another little while to actually finish it._


	6. Blood Stains and Soul Bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> First of all, I am so sorry that this is so so late! I never realized just how difficult it is to update regularly! My respect for writers who can do that has increased like 800%.
> 
> Anyway! A month, a few breakdowns, and an ER visit later, here we are! I finally got this chapter done and I'm actually mostly happy with how it turned out!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter! :D
> 
> **Warnings: This fic is dark. It contains torture, murder, kidnapping, implied/referenced domestic violence, the use of mind-altering influences and mind magic, abuse, and other mature themes. This fic will also contain character bashing, namely Dumbledore-bashing and some Weasley-bashing (this will come later in the fic).**
> 
> Warnings will be updated as I go along. If I missed something that should be in the warnings, please let me know and I'll add it immediately.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not pretend to own Harry Potter.
> 
> "Speech"
> 
> " _Spells_ "

"Ms. Granger, do you know why I summoned you?"

Mentally, Hermione rolled her eyes. She doubted he knew how cliche, muggle villain-like he sounded. However, she did know that if she was ever to say that to him out loud, she'd have the killing curse fired at her faster than she could blink.

So, she stayed silent.

She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

That, or screaming.

The Death Eaters around her shifted as her silence angered their master. They could all read the fury in his eyes at being ignored.

"I asked you a question," Voldemort snarled, leaning forward in his throne.

The room was silent.

"I summoned you here because none of my followers have been able to get an answer out of you. But if you want to live, you'll answer _me_ ," he growled, confusing his Death Eaters. Voldemort never gave explanations.

This whole situation was odd. Why was one prisoner being given so much attention? And how had this girl survived torture from multiple Death Eaters, Rockwood, and Bellatrix without cracking?

"Where are the headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix?" Voldemort tried, hoping that the different question would prompt an answer.

But she stayed silent.

"Where is Potter being hidden?" Voldemort hissed, a note of pleading in his voice that confused those who heard it.

Never before had they seen their master get so worked up over one person, let alone someone who wasn't even out of Hogwarts.

Yet, here they were.

Their Lord desperately hurling questions at the girl in hope that she would break her silence, which was unnerving to all.

Hermione continued to look down, refusing to speak. She could feel that the Death Eaters were tense but she couldn't see just how nervous they were the longer she was quiet.

"Maybe you need some pain to loosen your tongue."

Hermione didn't have a chance to understand what that meant because a second later she was hit with a blinding, white hot pain.

It was like nothing Hermione had ever felt.

All of the previous torture combined couldn't compare to this.

It felt as though thousands of white hot knives were piercing every single inch of her skin.

The blood-curling scream that tore from her throat sent shivers down every Death Eater's spine. It suddenly occurred to them, collectively, that this was a _child_. She wasn't even out of Hogwarts yet and here she was, kneeling before the Dark Lord being tortured with, quite literally, the most painful spell to ever exist. Not only that, but she was still standing, well, kneeling, after being tortured by multiple Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange.

Grown adults didn't make it out alive after being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange.

Is this what the Dark Side had come to?

Torturing _children_?

Not to mention that she was being tortured for information that most didn't believe she actually had. After all, why would she? She was a vulnerable target, being as young and untrained as she was. If they hadn't been able to get this information from a fully-trained adult, then why would they expect this child to know?

Suddenly, this all seemed like a horrible, horrible idea.

A collective feeling of dread and unease washed over the gathered Death Eaters, even the more radical ones. It was as if something deep inside themselves told them not to mess with this girl.

But, that was silly….wasn't it? They were adult Death Eaters with a wealth of Dark Arts knowledge and magical training under their belts. Was it logical to think a 15-year-old could stand against them?

As logic, and a healthy dose of denial, kicked in, the Death Eaters ignored their instincts that told them not to mess with Hermione Granger and went back to watching their master torture the girl.

Hermione spat out blood, chest heaving as her limbs twitched with pain. This was not a pain she would ever, for as long as she lived, forget.

"Ready to answer my questions now, mudblood?" Voldemort purred, looking at her with triumph. There was no way she wouldn't give up the information he wanted now, having had a glimpse into the pain he could make her feel.

"I-I don't know," Hermione croaked, her voice rough from screaming.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed and he seethed.

"YOU HAVE TO KNOW!" He roared, pointing his wand at her again and screamed out the cruciatous curse.

Hermione screamed again, falling over on the floor as Voldemort's anger made the curse all the more powerful. She curled up on her side as it ended, trembling and trying to muffle her sobs. Tear tracks stained her cheeks and blood dribbled out of her mouth.

Voldemort looked upon her with disgust and frustration.

"Well, I must say, I am impressed that you still don't want to talk even after all the torture you've endured," He mused, sitting back on his throne and looking at her inquisitively.

Everyone was quiet while he thought, no one dared interrupt him. They had no idea what he could be thinking. Voldemort was unpredictable on a good day but ever since the Granger girl had arrived in the manor, he had become ten times as unpredictable.

Finally, Voldemort sat forward and looked straight at Hermione, who had struggled into a sitting position and had her, still trembling, arms wrapped around her body, shivering at the painful aftershocks of the curse.

"I'm going to offer you something I've never offered one of your…kind...before," Voldemort whispered, though the whole room was so silent that he might as well have been shouting.

"I want you to join me."

As soon as the words left his lips, there was an uproar among his Death Eaters.

"SILENCE!" He bellowed, silencing them immediately. "She's incredibly powerful and resilient. I'm willing to ignore your blood status, Granger, because I know you will make a great Death Eater."

He stared into her eyes and raised his eyebrows in question, awaiting her response.

"No."

There was a moment of shocked silence before the room was once again in an uproar.

This girl had just said _no_ to the Dark Lord.

Fury washed over Voldemort's face and his lips twisted into an ugly snarl.

"You'll regret that, mudblood. I gave you the chance to have a say in the matter and you didn't take it," He hissed, standing up from his throne. He walked towards Hermione and knelt down so they were eye level.

Hermione refused to flinch.

His presence was cold and harsh, and gave Hermione the sick feeling of something crawling all over her skin. But she refused to let that show, and kept her head held high.

"One last chance to say yes," Voldemort whispered, coming uncomfortably close to Hermione's face.

Hermione thought about what she was about to do and decided that, consequences be damned, she was going to actually do it.

She spit in his face.

He flinched back with his eyes closed and everyone froze. No one even dared to breathe. Ever so slowly a hand came up to wipe away the spit and his eyes opened. Hermione swallowed roughly as his eyes burned into her, fury and disbelief swirling in those cold, red orbs.

"You shouldn't have done that," He growled menacingly.

In a smooth, quick movement Voldemort grabbed hold of Hermione's left arm. He pressed his wand into her skin with a bruising force and whispered an incantation in Parseltongue.

Hermione whimpered as her arm burned. Her throat was too sore to scream but it felt like flames were licking up her arm.

Voldemort smirked at her noises of pain, cruelty glinting in his eyes.

"You didn't want to be one of my followers and that's okay. But if you get back to your precious Light Side, they're going to see my mark on you and you'll never be trusted again," Voldemort purred with malicious pleasure.

Hermione couldn't stop the tears that welled up as the meaning of his words sunk in.

He was right. They would never truly understand. For all the light preached about acceptance, they weren't actually very good at practicing what they preached. Hermione could just picture the disgust and hatred in Ron's eyes, and the disappointment and confusion in Harry's.

Something inside her snapped, and she felt it rise as if to protect.

Protect her from wearing his mark.

Immediately, the blistering feeling of heat on her arm cooled. Hermione's body relaxed slightly and she let out a silent sigh of relief as the pain stopped.

"They'll never understand, at least not fully. All they'll see is my mark, my _brand_ , on your body," He cooed, continuing his speech, not noticing how her mind had wandered or what had happened to her arm. He reached up to wipe away one of her drying tears, laughing as she flinched away from his cold touch.

Voldemort looked down, fully expecting to see his trademark skull and serpent marring the girl's skin, and blinked in shock when he saw only unblemished skin. There was a slightly transparent, shimmery purple aura surrounding her left arm, acting as a barrier between his magic and her skin.

"What…what is this?!" He hissed, looking from Hermione's face to her arm with frustration and rage.

"I don't…I don't know," Hermione mumbled, looking at her arm in awe.

Voldemort reached out to touch her arm and pulled back with a hiss, cradling his now-burnt hand to his chest.

He looked at Hermione with wide, searching eyes.

How was it that a simple child could prevent his magic from working?

Voldemort ignored all of the Death Eaters around him as he continued to look at Hermione curiously.

The Death Eaters stood around them in shock. They had really never seen their lord act like this, ever.

Seriously, what was so special about this little witch that made her able to do things that thousands before her had failed to do, and had been killed for even trying?

"Dolohov, Gibbon," Voldemort barked, not taking his eyes off Hermione, "Take her back to her cell. I'm done with her for now."

The two men in question stood at attention as soon as he called their names and rushed over to follow orders. Dolohov picked Hermione up and threw her over his shoulder, ignoring her grunt of pain caused by having her sore body handled so roughly.

Voldemort dismissed his Death Eaters, who scattered as soon as he said the word, and watched Hermione go.

He just couldn't figure her out.

He had his suspicions, especially after seeing the colour of her shield, but knew that the probability of his theory being right was incredibly unlikely.

Still, it looked like he had some research to do.

With that, he headed off to the library, stopping by his chambers to collect Nagini, who happily made herself comfortable around his body while he did his research.

**oOoOoOoOo**

When Hermione woke up to Bellatrix once again standing outside her cell door, she felt nervous. It had been a few days since the ordeal in the throne room and Hermione honestly hadn't expected to see Bellatrix so soon after they put her under.

Hermione yanked her body into a sitting position on the thin cot she had been sleeping on and gazed at Bellatrix evenly.

The woman didn't look so good.

Her eyes were sunken in, her cheeks were hollow and paler than before, and her eyes were the lightest purple Hermione had ever seen.

Hermione rose from her seated position with wariness. She slowly walked over to the cell door, stopping just far enough that if Bellatrix suddenly reached in, she couldn't touch Hermione.

"Bellatrix?" Hermione whispered, watching for a sense of recognition, or even just some emotion in those bottomless, dull eyes.

Bellatrix swayed in her place slightly but kept silent. She just stared at Hermione with an unnerving intensity yet, somehow, no emotion sparked in her eyes.

"Do you know where you are?" Hermione asked, "Do you know who I am?"

Hermione waited patiently but received no response. She bit her lip as she considered her options, not noticing how Bellatrix's eyes briefly flicked to her lips for a second before returning to their emotionless stare.

Cautiously, Hermione moved forward. Soon enough she was standing right in front of Bellatrix, the only thing standing between them were the steel bars of her prison cell.

"Bella," Hermione whispered again, reaching out with a gentle hand to cup the older woman's cheek.

As soon as her hand made contact, Bellatrix jerked back. Her breath came out in harsh pants; uncertainty and desperation marring her features. The moment Hermione's hand had made contact with her skin, she had felt a surge of magic inside herself.

Suddenly, her head felt fuzzy.

She felt as though she was fighting against herself, two sides warring for the upper hand.

Concern shone on Hermione's face as she watched Bella seemingly battle herself. She reached out again and grasped Bellatrix's hand, interlocking their fingers. She kept hold of the older woman, lending Bella her somewhat steady presence as a source of support. She refused to let go, even as a surge of magic flowed through her arm to Bella's.

Bellatrix's eyes started to darken and Hermione felt hope spark through her chest.

The touch seemed to be working and ever so slowly, Bellatrix's eyes lost the light purple hue that Hermione was coming to despise.

"What's going on here?!"

The two women startled at the angry roar that came from down the hall.

Rodolphus was walking quickly towards them, a look of fury on his face.

"You are supposed to be interrogating her, Bellatrix! Not stopping for a chat," He snarled, grasping her arm harshly.

His eyes narrowed when he noticed their interlocked fingers and he looked between the two with disgust.

"A mudblood, Bella? Of fucking course," He growled, not making any sense to Hermione but Bellatrix seemed to get his message as her back straightened and she glared at the man they called her husband.

"What of it, Rodolphus?!" Bellatrix snarled back, angling her body in front of Hermione, even though Hermione was still semi-protected by the steel bars that acted as a barrier between her and the two in front of her.

"You are becoming more effort than you are worth, Black," Rodolphus whispered menacingly.

Bellatrix startled slightly at hearing her maiden name; she hadn't had anyone refer to her with it in years. It felt good. She had always despised when someone used her married name.

"Why can't you just stay under control?!" Rodolphus continued, squeezing her arm tighter. He smiled when she couldn't help the small grimace from the pain.

Bellatrix didn't respond and ripped her arm away from Rodolphus.

"Fine, be like that," Rodolphus huffed, "I don't care how you feel about the girl, you are going to break her, do you understand me?"

"I won't do anything of the sort." Bella retorted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did that sound like I was giving you a choice?" Rodolphus mocked, "Let me correct myself. You **will** break the girl, regardless of whatever feelings you have towards her or any other personal reservations you may have."

"You are here to follow orders. Do I make myself clear?" Rodolphus finished, staring intensely at Bellatrix.

The silence that followed his little speech was heavy and resounding. Hermione held her breath as she stared between the two, wondering who would break the silence first.

"Tsk tsk, well if you won't do it on your own, I'll have to _make_ you do it," Rodolphus purred, an evil look in his eyes. Before Bellatrix or Hermione could react, Rodolphus had his wand pointed at Bellatrix and was uttering the words that took away her freewill.

Hermione silenced a whimper as the dark purple fled from the older woman's eyes and was replaced with a sickly light purple.

"Good. Now, take her to the red room and…well, _break_ her," Rodolphus cooed, chuckling to himself as Bellatrix nodded hazily.

He watched as Bellatrix opened Hermione's cell and she grasped the girl's arm. Hermione thought about putting up a fight but didn't want to make things worse, so she went quietly.

And Hermione stayed quiet the whole way to the red room, a room she had yet to be in.

Bellatrix led her towards a small door at the end of one of the many twisting hallways and pulled her through the doorway.

As soon as Hermione was inside, she understood why they called it the red room.

There was blood everywhere. The walls, the floor, even the ceiling.

It was mostly dried blood, however, from the smell Hermione knew that there was fresh blood somewhere. Since witches and wizards could clean things up with a flick of their wand and an uttered word, it was clear that the state of this room was meant to intimidate. To make you feel _fear_ before you felt pain.

The scent of blood and other bodily fluids was overwhelming and Hermione choked, which made her inhale more of the scent as she tried to get air into her lungs.

Her heart started to beat faster in her chest as she continued to take stock of the room.

There was a long table next to a lone chair in the middle of the room and upon a closer glance, Hermione realized it was covered in muggle devices and instruments that looked like their only purpose was to cause extreme pain. There were chains hanging from the ceiling and Hermione felt sick as she realized the cuffs were dripping in blood.

Ah, so that's where the scent of fresh blood was coming from.

The blood dripped ominously, creating a little puddle on the floor.

Hermione gulped. 

Well, this wasn't going to be fun.

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

**Spinner's End - Home of Severus Snape:**

"Severus, I need to speak with you. Come immediately."

Severus looked up from the potions book he had his nose in and sighed. He had been expecting a summons since a few days ago when Lucius had filled him in on what had happened in the throne room when the Dark Lord had tried to brand the Granger girl.

He tidied his things into a neat pile on his desk and rose from his chair. He put on his cloak and disapparited in a flurry of motion.

Arriving in a swirl of black, Severus appeared outside the Dark Lord's study.

He straightened out his cloak and knocked.

"Enter," The Dark Lord's voice hissed, and Severus pushed open the door, entering the dark study.

"You wanted to speak with me, my Lord," Severus drawled, closing the door behind him and taking a seat in front of the grand desk when Voldemort beckoned him to do so.

"Yes, it seems we have a problem," Voldemort sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration.

Severus tilted his head to the side in concern. He almost never saw his lord in this state and was one of the very few who _ever_ saw him like this.

"Is this about the Granger girl?" Severus asked, his mind working a mile a minute to figure out what could be the problem that had gotten his master so worked up.

"Yes. I take it Lucius filled you in?"

"Yes, my lord. He briefed me the night it happened," Severus explained, "What seems to be the problem?"

"She's too powerful," Voldemort replied, seemingly talking to himself as he looked out the window in thought. "She's only in her 5th year at Hogwarts and she's muggleborn. I need to do some tests but I doubt she'd cooperate and her magic seems to be protecting her."

Severus snorted, "Yes, I _highly_ doubt she'll cooperate. Wait, did you say her magic was protecting her?"

"Yes, I don't understand it either. I've never seen this before," Voldemort mused.

"Hmm, well I've never heard of it happening if its the person's own magic that's protecting them but there have been documented cases of protective magic when a soul bond is involved."

"Is that a realistic possibility, though?" Voldemort questioned, raising his eyebrows, "After all, she's very young and most soul bonds don't develop to the point of protective magic until both parties are past their magical maturity."

"Well, my lord, I've learned never to underestimate Hermione Granger. If there was anyone who would defy the norms it would be her or that Potter brat," Severus said, "If a soul bond is the case, who do you think she's soul bonded to?"

Voldemort looked at Severus thoughtfully, "That's a good question. I think you'd know more than I since you're her teacher. You'd have a better idea of who she's involved with than I would."

Severus looked at Voldemort with amusement, "Oh, yes, it's not as if I have things to do, no I'm always just listening for gossip on Ms. Granger's love life."

Voldemort raised his eyebrows and for a second Severus thought he may have gone too far until Voldemort's lips quirked in amusement and he chuckled.

"You do realize that if anyone else talked to me the way you do they'd be dead faster than they could blink?"

"I guess there are perks to being your lefthand man," Severus purred, smirking.

Voldemort rolled his eyes and hid the little grin that had surfaced at their banter.

"Have you heard anything or observed anything that could tell us who the soulmate is?" Voldemort asked seriously.

"No. It could be the Potter brat, they are very close; however, they're more like siblings," Severus mused, "I also highly doubt it's the youngest Weasley boy. I haven't seen her interact very much with anyone else, at least as far as I know."

"Maybe it's someone outside of Hogwarts?" Voldemort pondered, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration as he ran through all the possibilities he knew of.

"It's certainly possible. Maybe one of the other Weasley's?"

Voldemort sat silently for a few moments before a vague idea started to take shape in his mind.

"Severus, what are some of the signs of a soul bond?"

"Well, from what I remember there's an instant connection. It doesn't mean love at first sight or whatever shit people come up with these days. But from the second you meet the person you can tell there is something different about them, it's like their magic is calling to you or something just feels off and different about them," Severus explained, getting into teacher mode, "In time and to a certain degree, you'll be able to share magic with your bonded. This is usually done when one party is under duress or has drained their magic fighting physical or mental magicks. If your bonded is in danger then your magic may lash out without you even being aware or when you're not in the same vicinity as your bonded."

Severus trailed off when he noticed the thoughtful and somewhat uneasy look in his master's eyes.

"What would happen is both parties had high or even exceptional levels of magic?" Voldemort asked slowly, the pieces starting to flow together in his mind.

"The higher levels of magic the soul bonded's have, the faster and more easily they'll be able to share magic. Because they have extra magic to spare, they might not even realize when some magic leaves them to go protect their bonded. So don't rely on being able to see someone lend Ms. Granger some magic, because that might not work." Severus finished.

Voldemort nodded to show he understood as he contemplated the the meaning of what Severus was saying.

He had a pretty strong idea of who the girl's soul bonded was, something that he wouldn't have believed before but the last few days had made him start to reconsider what he knew.

If what he thought was true, well, then they had a much bigger fight on their hands than they had imagined.

Interfering with soul bonds went against the Old Ways and many of the more traditional wizarding families would not be pleased if they found out he tried to manipulate the bond or intentionally cause harm in hopes of a reaction from the other party.

Well, he certainly had a lot to think about. He had a strong feeling that how the next few events unfolded would impact how the rest of the war itself unfolded. Now, if he played his cards right, then the tides could turn to his side, gaining him an upper hand in the war. Play it wrong and he could say goodbye to his dreams of dominance and ruling.

"What are you thinking?" Severus questioned quietly, trying not to disturb his master but unable to sit there in silence any longer.

"I'm thinking that we have to be very careful how we handle things from here on out," Voldemort replied pensively, causing Severus to raise his eyebrows in shock and concern. It was not often at all that concern could be detected from the dark wizard. In fact, Severus could count the times he had observed genuine concern from his master in the last 20 years, on one hand.

"Is there anything you need done, my Lord?" Severus asked, swallowing the other questions he wanted to ask and preparing to be dismissed.

"No, Severus, you're dismissed. Thank you for your help," Voldemort said, rising from his throne-like chair and waving his hand towards the door.

Severus nodded, hiding his surprise at having been thanked, yet another thing Voldemort did rarely, and took his leave.

Before he could reach the door, however, it flung open and a man Severus recognized as a low ranking Death Eater burst in, chest heaving.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Voldemort roared, "YOU DARE ENTER MY STUDY WITHOUT PERMISSION?"

The Death Eater, a relatively young man, sucked in a deep breath and trembled slightly in fear, "I-I'm so sorry, m-my Lord! But Rodolphus sent me to get you right away! S-Something's going on w-with Bellatrix and he needs your help!"

Severus hid a wince as he saw the disgust in Voldemort's eyes at the young man's stuttering and wheezing.

"Fine. I'll deal with you later. While Rodolphus may have sent you, you are not to enter my personal wing without explicit permission, is that clear?" Voldemort hissed angrily, barely waiting for the man's shaky nod before he walked briskly out the door and down the hall, towards the red room.

The young Death Eater let out a breath as Voldemort left the room but gulped in fear as he considered his future punishment.

Snape let himself feel momentary pity for the boy before he brought his mask up and smirked cruelly at the boy as he passed, disappariting as soon as he left the study.

He'd have to get Lucius to tell him what happened with Bellatrix but for now a large glass of firewhiskey was just what he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a general idea of how I want the next chapter to play out but since I'm still struggling with writers block and low motivation, updates have been changed to once a month. I'll update more regularly if possible but at least once a month there will be some kind of update!
> 
> I really hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Shoutout to all the people who liked, commented, bookmarked, and subscribed to this fic! You guys give me the inspiration to keep this fic going and I appreciate that!
> 
>  
> 
> **03/02/2017: Nvm lmao I have writer's block again and inspiration for this fic in particular just isn't flowing. I have no idea when I'm going to be able to write the next chapter but please be patience with me /)w(\**


	7. NOT A CHAPTER - AUTHOR'S NOTE

**As of May 23rd, 2018:**

So, I'm officially abandoning this story.

I know that I've previously stated, many times, that I was definitely not going to abandon this fic, but as months pass and inspiration refuses to come, I think it's time I admit that I don't actually think this story is going to continue. I would like to apologize to anyone and everyone who has been waiting for an update. I really wanted to see this story to the end but it's gotten to the point where I don't enjoy writing it anymore.

When I first started this story, it was supposed to be a oneshot, two chapters at the absolute most. Now it's kinda mutated out of control. I don't like where I've gone in the story. Like, because this wasn't supposed to be a romance, I set the time frame during the 5th book, meaning that Hermione's like, 15/16 years old. Which means that if something romantic happens between Bella and Hermione, it's underage, which I'm not okay with writing. It was an oversight on my part and I definitely don't want to continue it. I thought of maybe finding a way to de-age Bella so they'd be around the same age, and I liked the idea I came up with for that, but the problem is that I have no idea how to actually write it in a way that's good and responsible. You know what I mean?

There's also the fact that the pureblood/dark side is super racist and I don't want any part in justifying or normalizing that. A reader pointed out to me how Hermione was way to quick to sympathize with a woman who's essential a Nazi (even if, in the context of this story, she's under mind control) and that really stuck with me, because the reader was right. Death Eaters are basically Nazi's and I won't write something that even looks like it's justifying that.

I have to be able to stand behind what I write and if I can't do that, then I can't, in good conscious, continue to write this piece. I think the plot has potential if I could figure out how to fix the problems mentioned above but after more than a year of thinking about it, I don't know what to do. So I'm saying goodbye to this piece. I'm going to leave it up on my page in case one day I do figure out how to continue writing it- however, I doubt that I'm going to do anything more on this story.

I apologize to everyone who was hoping for this story to be finished- I tried, I really did. But I can't put my name on something that I'm not completely behind. Sorry!

I hope this all made sense and that you understand why I'm putting this story to rest.

xoxoxo,

honestlydarkprincess


End file.
